1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to container security and, more particularly to a shipping container monitoring system to provide a non-intrusive and rapid inspection technique for short term interaction with a shipping containers.
2. Description of Related Art
Shipping containers are used to transport most of the commerce entering, leaving, and transiting within the United States. It is estimated that there are over 6 million containers moving in global commerce. Shipping containers have revolutionized the transportation of goods by greatly reducing the number of times goods must be loaded and unloaded during transportation. However, at the same time, this same advantage has created a major problem in that it is very difficult to monitor and track the contents of each container during transport.
Today, the vast majority of non-bulk cargo is transported in Intermodal containers. The containers arrive at a port by truck, rail or another ship and are stacked in the port's storage area. When a containership arrives in port, the ship is offloaded by a crane. Once unloaded, the containers either leave the port by truck or rail or they are put in the storage area until they are put on another ship. To be loaded onto another ship, the containers are brought to the dock by truck. A crane lifts the containers from the trucks into the ship. As the containers pile up in the ship, the workers connect them to the ship and to each other.
In today's security conscious transportation environment, there is a strong need to cost-effectively and accurately monitor the contents of containerized shipments. This need exists both in the United States and abroad. However, monitoring the content of shipping containers is difficult because these containers are carried through numerous transit points and depots all over the world and it is impractical to stop and check the contents of each container individually at each point of transit. Dealing with this problem, the U.S. Customs Service estimates it can inspect just 5% of the 6 million containers entering and reentering the U.S. each year. Accordingly, agencies such as the United States Customs Service are seeking improved ways to achieve cargo container security and integrity upon arrival at the ports of entry of the Unites States.